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Career Development for the Prospective Law Student

At OCU LAW, our career center staff provides guidance and assistance to students and graduates to develop and implement professionalized career plans through a broad array of resources.  However, even before you are a law student, we want to assist you.  We invite you to review the following information and then contact us if you would like to take the next step in your professional career development.

Law school is not for everyone!  Although being an attorney is sometimes glamorized on TV it is one of the most rigorous and challenging professions. You have to know you want to be a lawyer before you decide to attend law school. Here are some steps you can take to determine if law school is for you:

  1. Contact your prelaw advisor from your undergraduate institution. Even if it has been sometime since you graduated, they are a viable resource for you. If you do not know who your prelaw advisor is, there are a couple of ways to find out. You can call the institution and ask or you can visit the LSAC web site as they keep a roster of institutions who have provided that information. A prelaw advisor may also be able to help you with some of the suggestions listed below. - back to top
  2. Create a list of legal professionals/law students you already know and ones you would like to get to know.  Interview them and ask what they like most and least about their jobs. - back to top
  3. Visit a courtroom and observe court proceedings. - back to top
  4. Find a law-related job or internship or volunteer at your local courthouse, a law firm, or a city, state, or federal legal agency. - back to top
  5. Schedule a skills assessment test with the Career Center at your local college or university. - back to top
  6. Market Research - We recommend that you view going to law school like you would any major purchase. You would never just go to a car lot and pay several thousand dollars for a car you knew nothing about. This is the same philosophy. You need to take time to acquire knowledge about the legal profession. Many law students are surprised to learn about the wide span of salaries available to graduates depending on the type of employer and geographic market. Click here for legal web sites and resources. - back to top

Alumni Contacts: One of the best ways to learn about the legal profession is to speak with a practicing attorney. As a prospective student, we would be happy to provide you with the name of an OCU LAW alumni who practices law in or near your hometown, or someone who practices in a particular area lf law that interests you. To request this information click here. - back to top

The Professional and Career Development Center at OCU LAW assists students and graduates to develop and implement professionalized career plans through a broad array of resources and offerings that include individual counseling, informational programs, job listing databases, career development networking and mentor program (with alumni and other legal professionals), hands-on skills building workshops, mock interview programs, online resources, computer lab, and traditional printed resources such as informational brochures and books. The level and frequency of attention is up to the individual, but can span from their status as a prospective student through graduation and beyond. - back to top

Resources and Links

 

Job Categories - this list is not all-inclusive, but will give you an idea of what a law degree can help you to attain. - back to top

Please contact our office at (405) 208-5332 or at lawcareers@okcu.edu for more information. - back to top